Alameda rezones federal land for park

Alameda’s City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to rezone federal property near Crab Cove for park use – and to remove contested language from a companion measure council members said was designed to spell out what the council will do if the city is sued over the zoning change.

The companion measure was approved as it was originally written on a 3-2 vote, after a nearly two-hour hearing that saw frustrated city leaders questioning supporters of a proposed ballot measure to rezone the property for a park about their opposition to the city’s measure.

Since the council opted to approve the zoning change as an ordinance, it won’t be on the November 4 ballot. It will instead go into effect on August 14.

It’s not yet clear what if any impact the decision will have on the lawsuits that are piling up around proposed development of the site – or whether new ones may be filed as a result of the change.